It must seem like Groundhog Day to Chien-Ming Wang, because every time he pitches, he gets slapped around like a red-headed stepchild. Today, he got bombed yet again, and the bullpen was even worse, as the Yanks were humiliated and neutered in perhaps the worse performance I have ever laid eyes on. The lost 22-4. 22-4! It was so bad, Girardi pulled Jeter by the 4th inning.
Wang lasted 1.1 innings, giving up 8 earned runs. Strangely, he retired the side in the first inning before the wheels not only fell off the bus, but bounced around and killed all the other motorists around it. Enter in Anthony Claggett, making his major league debut today. I'd say remember this name, but you will never hear from this guy again. I hope his parents taped this performance just to prove to family and friends that he did, indeed, make it to the big show. If I were them, though, I would tape over everything after he makes his first pitch with a Seinfeld rerun or an Andy Rooney interview on 60 minutes.
To say he was terrible would be an understatement. It reminded me of the time when I was a kid and I would play wiffle ball with my little brother and I would crush anything he could throw over the plate. Claggett, today, was my little brother. He should be banished to the furthest regions of the minor leagues. Whoever in the Yankee organization thought that this guy could help the big league club should be out of baseball. He had absolutely nothing for a fastball or off-speed pitches. I just hope this guy didn't unpack his suitcase. 4 straight batters reached base before he retired a batter. When he finally did, Yankee fans gave him the ol' sarcastic Bronx cheer. He followed that by promptly giving up a grand slam and another HR, before mercifully ending the inning. By the time the dust settled, the Indians had scored 14 runs. Believe it or not, the Yanks had led 2-0 after the first on a Mark Teixeira HR.
Claggett shouldn't be the only casualty sent off to a semi-pro team in Des Moines, Iowa. Wang should be banished to Single A ball or the rookie league because he is clearly lost. The Yankees cannot afford to run this guy out there again. They are 6-3 in games he has not pitched. Sadly, I'm starting to yearn for the days when Kei Igawa or Ian Kennedy started. As bad as they were last year, I could falsely hope that maybe, just maybe, they might be able to pitch a half way decent game where the Yanks might be able to compete. In the 3 games Wang has started this year, by the time he has departed, the damage is too much to overcome. I'd take a 5-inning, 5 run outing right now. It would be leap years ahead of what he's provided so far.
As for the hitting, it's hard getting on a team who must have been totally deflated and unmotivated after the second inning debacle. But, they did continue their terrible clutch hitting, going 0-5 with runners in scoring position, including Cano unable to get a run in from third and less than 2 out. For the series, they are 1-25. Piss poor. To save face, the Yanks must beat Pavano tomorrow, and I recommend they beat him badly to put this game in the rearview mirror.
As for the new Yankee Stadium, it's becoming an offensive joke. It's Coors Field East. Cleveland hit 6 HRs today and the Yanks hit 2. Yesterday, the Yanks hit 5 dingers. I never saw balls fly out of the old Yankee Stadium like I have seen the past 3 days. Arod must be licking his chops to get back. He may still hit 40 HRs even after missing the first month of the season. Anything in the air to RF is gone.
Hopefully, Burnett steps up again after another Yankee loss.
Yanks Record: 6-6
Clueless Wang's Record: 0-3, E.R.A. 34.50
The Immortal Anthony Claggett: E.R.A. 43.20 - we hardly knew ye.
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